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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Members of the United Warrior Band of the Seminole |
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| 8 | 9 | | Nation/John Horse Band, Chief Thomi Lee Perryman, and descendants |
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| 9 | 10 | | take great pride in their rich history; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, In the early 18th century, Spanish Florida welcomed |
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| 11 | 12 | | both African Americans escaping slavery and Seminoles moving away |
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| 12 | 13 | | from encroaching colonialism in Alabama and Georgia; the two |
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| 13 | 14 | | imperiled groups intermingled, and people with Seminole cultural |
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| 14 | 15 | | traditions and African forebears eventually became known as Black |
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| 15 | 16 | | Seminoles; after the United States purchased Florida in 1819, |
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| 16 | 17 | | President Andrew Jackson waged the Second Seminole War to drive out |
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| 17 | 18 | | the Seminoles and Black Seminoles; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Black Seminole hero John Horse, a famed warrior and |
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| 19 | 20 | | diplomat, resettled his people in Indian Territory in the 1840s; |
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| 20 | 21 | | life there proved precarious, with the threat of re-enslavement by |
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| 21 | 22 | | the Creeks as well as by Whites; in 1848, the acting U.S. attorney |
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| 22 | 23 | | general ruled that the Black Seminoles were property that could be |
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| 23 | 24 | | reclaimed; John Horse and his ally, Seminole Chief Coacoochee, led |
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| 24 | 25 | | their followers across the Red River into the frontier, and they |
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| 25 | 26 | | camped near Waco, Fredericksburg, and Fort Duncan in Texas before |
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| 26 | 27 | | finding greater safety in Mexico; in the ensuing years, many of the |
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| 27 | 28 | | Black Seminoles aided the Mexican Army's defense of the border, and |
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| 28 | 29 | | they were rewarded with a land grant; John Horse reportedly |
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| 29 | 30 | | attained the rank of colonel; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, After the Civil War, the U.S. Army began recruiting |
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| 31 | 32 | | experienced Black Seminole warriors from Mexico to help battle |
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| 32 | 33 | | raids along the border; the Seminole Negro Indian Scout Detachment |
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| 33 | 34 | | was established in 1870, and the scouts were instrumental in |
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| 34 | 35 | | quelling hostilities on the Texas frontier; they engaged in 26 |
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| 35 | 36 | | campaigns, and several received the Medal of Honor for their valor; |
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| 36 | 37 | | many went on to serve alongside the Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Duncan |
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| 37 | 38 | | and Fort Clark; while John Horse did not join the scouts, he served |
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| 38 | 39 | | as an advisor and as an interpreter during negotiations with Indian |
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| 39 | 40 | | tribes; he died in Mexico City in 1882, during a mission to settle a |
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| 40 | 41 | | dispute over Black Seminole land; and |
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| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, John Horse and the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts |
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| 42 | 43 | | played pivotal roles in the early history of the Lone Star State, |
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| 43 | 44 | | and it is indeed fitting to recognize the United Warrior Band of the |
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| 44 | 45 | | Seminole Nation/John Horse Band for celebrating and preserving a |
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| 45 | 46 | | remarkable legacy of courage, resilience, and independence; now, |
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| 46 | 47 | | therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 48 | 49 | | Legislature hereby honor the United Warrior Band of the Seminole |
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| 49 | 50 | | Nation/John Horse Band and extend to the members and Chief Thomi |
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| 50 | 51 | | Perryman sincere and best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 51 | 52 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 52 | 53 | | prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 53 | 54 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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